A Simple Dream: A Dragon Age FanFiction
by KalynBuscus
Summary: This was written to random songs, hence the strange chapter titles. There will be two halves, then two separate endings: Choose which one you wish to read!
1. Part 1

18

Kalyn Martinez

English 12, Period 6

Mr. Arnold

6 December 2013

Sci-Fi Writ.

Chapter 1: Believer

Sleep, sweet sleep, had overtaken me. After a difficult day, I was ready to leave reality, to believe in dreams. I was lying amongst a pile of blankets, seemingly peaceful. But something made me stir: a loud humming noise, undulating and pulsing through my very bones. Cautiously, I stood up and donned a jacket and some shoes. Thunderous clashes shook the door, and I shakily approached, turning the door-knob gingerly, as if it would burst aflame at any moment.

Chapter 2: Zed

I swung the door open and was blinded by a harsh light. I stumbled through the doorway, rubbing my aching eyes: all was quiet. Blinking, I turned in a circle, taking in my surroundings. I was in a desolate wasteland, no buildings (at least, no whole ones) stood by me, aside from the small hut that I had just exited. I frowned, confused and lost: Fires dotted the hillside, and it seemed that this new world was ravaged by some sort of war.

Suddenly, I was shoved forward, and I landed on my chest, the wind knocked out of me. Scared and panicked, I looked over my shoulder to see my attacker: It was a beast, with pasty skin, scarred and bleeding. It focused its sickly white eyes on me and shrieked horribly. I scrambled to get up, to flee, but it had me pinned on the ground so that I could not run. With a malicious laugh, it raised a blood-encrusted blade above its head, about to end my pathetic life. All I could do was watch, all sorts of questions flying through my mind as to what could have brought me to this hell-hole. As I shut my eyes, accepting my fate, I heard a vicious cry from my right. My eyes snapped open to see a beautiful sight: A warrior, clad in golden armor, was running towards the creature, a long-sword raised above his head. The monster turned its attention from me to face its new challenger, no emotions shown in its death-like face. The man hacked and slashed with a ferocity that I had never seen before, forcing the thing away from me. For a few moments the creature resisted, but the warrior's might was too much. With a final, ear-piercing shriek, the monster died as he plunged his sword into its chest. Bewildered, I watched with a slack mouth as he retrieved his blade and sheathed it on his back, turning to me with a crimson-stained face.

Chapter 3: M83

The man laughed mirthfully at my ridiculous expression, shrugging off the battle as if it were common-place (it seemed it was). He wiped his face with one hand then proffered his other down to me, helping me to my feet. He beamed earnestly with a child-like glint in his eye. "Hello, miss. Sorry for the trouble… those things are all over the place. Quite like rabbits, actually. My name is Alistair." I nodded dumbly and murmured my name to him, still a little dazed. His smile softened and he peered at me curiously: "You're not from these parts, are you?"

I shook my head, not answering the implied question: I did not know where I was from… did I?

"Well…" He continued, brushing a hand through his short, blonde hair, "In that case, I suppose I should welcome you to the country!" He grinned again, "Although, this hasn't been a pleasant welcome so far." He waved his hand and bowed graciously. "Please forgive the monster for its intrusion, dear lass; his manners are atrocious in public." This garnered a smile from me, and I chuckled at his antics as we began to walk away from the hut, with him chatting up a storm.

Thus, my journey began. We encountered many hardships on our travels across the country, not excluding the occasional horde of monsters. We swam through raging rivers, climbed the tallest mountains, and traversed the deepest jungles. All the while, he trained me in the art of war. He let me experiment with different weapons, and I soon found comfort in the art of two-handed combat. He drilled me relentlessly, and at times I got so frustrated that I felt like taking my chances alone in the wilderness. But through our troubles, we forged a bond so pure and genuine that my doubts were banished as quickly as they appeared. I often found myself smiling in his company, laughing at his sarcasm and making clever remarks in return. I was in such a joyous state, that I soon forgot about the mystery of how I had come to this country, or where I had even come _from_.

Chapter 4: Joy

On one particular day, when Alistair and I were taking a break from combat training and studying battle tactics, an arrow pierced the ground in front of our texts. The two of us jumped to our feet and drew our weapons, turning to where the arrow had come from. At first there was silence, and then an exotic-toned voice sounded from behind the tree-line: "Alistair! Is that really you, my friend? How did you come to be in this dreadful place with so beautiful a creature?"

I frowned, not appreciating the poke at my ego, and Alistair grimaced. From behind the trees emerged the source of the voice: A tall, lean elf, with platinum hair and an intricate tattoo above his eye. He smiled and saluted to Alistair and me. As he approached, I couldn't help but "admire" his toned physique, which clearly showed through his leather armor. I guess he noticed me looking, and he winked in my direction, making me flush crimson. He stopped in front of Alistair and grinned mischievously, bowing to me.

"Hello, my beautiful warrior. You may be thinking of some sultry things right now, but I can assure Alistair that I have no such intentions… for now."

I could literally feel the waves of fury emanating from Alistair.

"Zevran… watch your back. There are many worse things than a death at the hands of a monster that could happen to you."

I raised an eyebrow and glanced between this "Zevran" and Alistair, who already seemed to be acquainted. This would be interesting.

Chapter 5: Man-man

From that day onward, I felt like I was being dragged along by a travelling circus: The two men were at each other's throats, and never failed to argue with one another about the most trivial topics, such as who gets what ration, and who gets to keep watch at night. In the beginning, I thought that the little tiffs between them were entertaining, and they made me laugh quite a few times. I am guilty to admit that I may have encouraged quite a few of these arguments, but who could resist the opportunity for free, slap-stick comedy? Still, it almost seemed that they were trying to "out-man" each other in front of me.

One night, while we were eating dinner (which consisted of roasted rabbit and herbs), Zevran went to his pack and began to rummage around. Curious, I set down my meat on a wooden plate and watched, while Alistair stared into the campfire broodingly. Zevran glanced over at him with a smirk, and then whirled around with a small instrument in his hands to face me. I looked from his face to the instrument, a little skeptical about his musical talents. He shrugged innocently and strummed a chord.

"Do not judge me yet, my dear. Not before you hear my song!"

I watched attentively as he began to delicately pluck a song from the instrument's strings, waltzing to my side and sitting down. He casually leaned against my shoulder, purposely letting his hair brush against my skin. Goose-pimples rose up, and he beamed, his mission accomplished. He jumped up while I shook my head, rubbing my arms to get rid of them. He then cleared his throat and went into song. It was a silly tune about a maid who fell for a wandering merchant, and I clapped as he made faces and alternated his voice to match the different characters.

He eventually finished singing the song, but he continued to strum lightly, walking back over to me. I was wiping tears of joy from my eyes, and I didn't notice him kneel in front of me. The strumming stopped, and I opened my eyes, wondering why it had disappeared. Zevran was directly in front of my face. Before I could cry in protest, he lightly pressed his lips against my cheek and grinned. I blushed and smiled, standing up so that it wouldn't turn into something more serious. He didn't seem to notice my slight distress, and kept smiling. I nodded my head to him and Alistair, saying my goodnight. As I turned and began to walk to my tent, I heard Zevran murmur something about my figure, and a loud thud as Alistair struck him, knocking him to the ground. I hid a snicker and went to bed.


	2. Part 2

Chapter 6: Alt J

As the months went on, I could tell that there were shadows on the horizon. Alistair's mood grew more serious and dark each day: He kept mentioning a dragon of some sort, leading all of the monsters that riddled the land, and the war became a very real thing in our lives. Both he and Zevran seemed to be distancing themselves from me, and I began to feel an acute loneliness. Not even mine and Alistair's relationship, which once was so pure and happy, seemed to escape the darkness.

One night, when I thought the two of them were asleep, I sat on the edge of our camp, clutching a woolen blanket against my frame. I stared up at the full moon, which seemed to give a mystic air to the land around me. I closed my eyes, bathing in its ivory glow. Something was lingering at the edge of my consciousness, a broken memory of some sort. I clenched my fists against the blanket, but I couldn't touch the thought. I felt a pair of eyes focusing on my back, so I opened mine and turned, scanning the area behind me. My eyes met those of Alistair's: His azure eyes reflected the light of the moon, making them look almost white. I saw something in that gaze, something that reached deep inside my soul, and grasped its core tightly. But before I could react, Alistair turned away and went back inside his tent, leaving me lost in the ocean of my thoughts.

Chapter 7: Justice

The following morning, I was shocked awake by all-too-familiar shrieking. The intense and numerous sounds rattled my skull, and I covered my ears to instinctively protect my delicate hearing. I heard someone calling my name, and I was pulled to my feet by Zevran, who dragged me out of my tent as soon as I had collected my weapons. He parried an immediate strike from the left as we exited, and I stood with my back to his, protecting his rear. As soon as the area around my tent was clear, Zevran nodded to me to let me know I was on my own, and then he disappeared into the swarm of beasts. I grimaced and adjusted my grip on my blades, then swiftly darted into the heart of the horde, severing limbs and lacerating torsos until none were left.

As I stood there, surrounded by the corpses of the enemy, I had a flash of the memory that had been lingering the night before. I recalled going to sleep in a warm, safe bed, not knowing anything about this strange country until I wound up in the clutches of a monster. I realized that there was a reason I was here, and that it seemed awfully coincidental for Alistair to simply stumble upon me at that hut. I felt a warm, bubbling anger fill my blood, and I sheathed my weapons, marching off to confront the man who may know why I was here.

Chapter 8: Pigeon

It took me several hours to locate Alistair, as he had been chasing down the beasts' dragon-leader, and I had thought he would be far from our original camp. After exhausting my energy, I returned to camp and was surprised to see him, kneeling and, it seemed, praying. Somewhat humbled by the innocent action, my anger dissipated and I gently touched his shoulder, trying to get his attention. He leapt to his feet, reaching behind his head to remove his sword, ready for battle: But it was only my exhausted face he saw. He exhaled sharply in relief and wrapped me in a tight embrace, his armor cool against my hot, tired flesh. He looked into my eyes and brushed a strand of hair from my face with one large hand: He opened his mouth to say something, but his gaze turned to an object behind me. Before I could turn to see what it was, a ground-shattering roar pulsed through the air, and the dragon was upon us. Alistair pushed me away, assuming that the creature would attack him as he took up arms, but that was not the case. The dragon swooped down upon us, picking me up in its talons and carrying me off as Alistair watched, bewildered and, for once, frightened.

Chapter 9: Pulp

I struggled against the might of the dragon's paw, wrenching a dagger from my belt and stabbing at its armor-like hide viciously. It simply grasped me tighter, making it so that I was unable to move. It flew over what seemed to be a forgotten village, blackened by fire and collapsed by time. Higher and higher it flew, until it reached the top of a massive fortress: It released its hold on me and I fell to the stone roof, rolling to minimize the damage that I would sustain. A wildfire in my eyes, I unsheathed both of my blades and staggered at the landed dragon, gaining momentum and running at full speed. I lunged at its eyes and neck, trying to strike a critical point, but to no avail. It screeched and whipped around, flinging me aside with its massive tail. I went flying and my head struck a wall, instantly rendering me unconscious.

Chapter 10: Arcade

In the black of unconsciousness, I was lost. I could not remember anything for the life of me; I just felt a dull pain on the edge of my awareness. My body seemed to be missing, but I still clenched my imaginary eyes tight, trying to sink into the pleasant dark. In the midst of this un-ending night, a sound, so light and airy, made me open my eyes: All I saw was the unforgiving dark. Still, the sound persisted, and it began to grow in volume and clarity. It turned into a voice: no, two voices! They were calling my name… My name? Who am I?

With a sudden flash of light I was revived, and I groaned in pain as it made my head pound. I tried to stand, but I was bound by thick rope that scratched my tender flesh. Panicked, I yelled out in surprise and struggled, trying to liberate myself: The voices grew in urgency, and I realized that they were my two favorite boys, and that they were searching for me. I arched my neck back and forth, and I could see them in the distance. They had just seen me, and they were both sprinting in my direction, both of their bodies clad in heavy battle armor. Desperate to protect them, I screamed for the two of them to leave me, to get themselves to safety: they ignored my cries. Alistair staggered to my side and sliced the ropes open with a knife, his hands shaking with concern. Before I could tell him to leave again, he clutched my body to his, his breath labored from running in the heavy armor. He kissed my hair softly, and for a brief breath I felt like I did when we had first met; innocently happy. I smiled, despite the terror, and wrapped my arms around him weakly. He lifted me up and cradled me to his chest, beginning to carry me away from the fortress's rooftop. I glanced over his shoulder to see Zevran looking on despondently. I felt part of my heart break with that look: he had lost the battle.

Chapter 11: Refused

I looked away from Zevran's anguished face and closed my eyes, feeling as though I would be safe in Alistair's embrace: It was a foolish thought. I felt the temperature cool as a shadow loomed over us, and Alistair's muscles stiffened underneath me. He quickly set me down and ushered me to Zevran, who grabbed a hold of my arm and held me close. Alistair's expression grew grim, and he withdrew his blade, readying his stance. The dragon was upon us.

My friend roared and lunged with all the power he could muster, making a straight line for the monster's head. Oh, how mighty an anger he had shown! His blue eyes blazed with the fury of star-fire, and he made several attacks against the dragon. The dragon snarled and bore its teeth, making a snap at him from his right side. Instinctively, Alistair leapt to the left, falling for the creature's trap. It clutched him in its paw and roared terribly, throwing him to the edge of the roof. His body slid as he scrambled to regain his footing, but his inertia was too powerful to overcome. I screamed as I saw him drift over the edge, certain that he was gone. I clung to Zevran and sobbed, wanting the ordeal to end, one way or another. Zevran squeezed my hand and gently kissed my forehead, giving me that flirtatious smile that I had come to admire so much. He then pushed me aside and sprinted at the monster, revealing his two deadly daggers. He leapt at its eye and slashed, drawing blood and blinding it partially. It screeched in agony and swept him aside as well. I heard the sickening crash as Zevran struck the stone wall, then felt burning tears prick my eyes as I saw his limp body collapse.


	3. Tragic Ending

Chapter 12a: Tragedy

With both of my friends gone, I faced the monster alone. Its massive head loomed over me: Onyx blood dripped from its wounded eye, and its salivating maw blew hot breath against my skin. It growled deep in its throat, and I took a step back, deeply frightened by my opponent. I was pathetic, I was weak. I couldn't harm a fly. I screamed in terror as the horrible teeth drew ever closer, helpless to my fate.

Then, I remembered: I remembered who I was. I remembered the first day I had come here; how Alistair, my blue-eyed knight, had rescued me from my own ignorance. I remembered all the time we spent together, the laughter, the tears. I remembered the competition between him and Zevran, who had captivated me from the moment I had met him. The night he had serenaded me, and how his voice had struck a chord in my very soul. These things made up who I was. Not the things I was before I came to this world: To my home.

I flashed back to the task at hand. With the speed of a desperate woman, I darted to the dragon's side, unsheathing my dual swords. I nimbly dodged its snapping jaws and massive talons, using its large and sturdy body to my advantage. I used its elbow as a stepping stool to its back, and I leapt forward, landing in-between its shoulder blades. It roared in frustration and clawed at my legs and sides, but I was determined. With a vengeance, I struck my blades into the base of its neck, twisting them cruelly. The dragon shrieked horribly and clawed at me with a fury, lacerating my flesh and making my blood flow freely. I roared in agony but continued to sink the blades deeper, feeling them grind against the monster's bone. Finally, the monster lost control of its body, its spinal cord severed. Its head, then neck, then torso fell forward, and I was thrown to the roof, all strength spent.

I attempted to raise my head, to see the light of the fiery sun one more time, but I was much too weak. I closed my eyes and felt my wounds: They were deep, and my blood was quickly staining the stone around my body. My breathing grew labored, and I sobbed. Not in pain of the body, but pain of the soul. I had lost the two people who had cared for me so much: And Alistair… no, I did not want to think of him in death. Instead, I thought of his eyes, and how his emotions were so easily seen, from mirth, to sadness… to love. I grimaced as the salt from my tears mixed with my injuries: If only he had known my feelings as well.

In that moment before death, I heard the angels calling my name. I smiled, relieved to be joining my friends up above. They told me to open my eyes, to wake up. I was confused: Wake up? Isn't this heaven? They insisted, and I thought I heard anguish in their voices. I frowned, and did as they said.

The light was blinding, but as my vision focused I could see the most beautiful faces in the world hovering above me. I sobbed and smiled, lifting my arms weakly and stroking their rough faces. Eyes of emerald and eyes of sapphire filled with tears. Alistair held my hand and kissed it firmly, while Zevran watched the blood flowing from me sadly. I tried to speak, to tell them I would be alright, but in my heart of hearts I knew they would never believe that lie. Instead, I decided to say my goodbyes, as agonizing as they may be. I winked at Zevran and said that he would never find someone to put up with him as I did. He laughed in pain and conceded that he wouldn't. I turned my head to Alistair and tried to sit up: He noticed and cradled me in his arms, his tears flowing freely now. I held one of his hands over my heart, looking at him with all of the emotion I could muster. He stared at my hand, and then his anguished eyes met mine. He choked on despair and said, "I love you: Always."

He lifted my face to his, and his trembling lips met mine: but it was too late. I heard a cry of agony and heartbreak. Then I woke up.


	4. Happy Ending

Chapter 12b: Happy Ending

As I stood there, frightened and unarmed, my weapons forgotten where I had been bound, I thought of my poor Alistair's eyes: I thought of the way they had shone when he laughed, and how they grew dark with thought and concern. Tears welled in my eyes as I thought of not seeing those gleaming sapphires again. I was going to die, and I had never told him my true feelings. That was my only regret, and it consumed my soul. The hot, steamy breath of the dragon suffocated me, but I stood firm, refusing to be afraid of death.

As it opened its salivating maw, ready to end its final problem, I heard a vicious cry from the side. I stopped cringing and stared in awe as I saw Alistair, running towards the dragon with the fury of a thousand suns. His armor was scratched and he looked battered, but he was alive! The sunlight reflected off of his chest-plate, casting an almost holy aura about him. He raised his sword and swung at the monster's face, creating an ugly gash across its snout. It roared in anger and attempted to grab him again, but Alistair anticipated it. He rolled to the other side of its face and stabbed at its un-injured eye, a fountain of tainted blood spraying from the wound. The dragon shrieked in agony and reared up on its hind legs, clutching its face with its paw. Alistair, seeing an opening, leapt into the air, raising his sword and plunging it into the dragon's delicate chest. Onyx blood cascaded from the wound, splattering the ground and steaming in the air.

The dragon convulsed wildly, and Alistair abandoned his blade, running towards me and pulling me away from the dying beast. I staggered behind him and glanced back, watching the demise of our greatest foe. With an immense crash, the monster's body fell to the rooftop, sending a shockwave across the surface. Alistair and I were knocked to the ground, and we didn't stir until the shaking of the building had ceased. Once everything seemed quiet, Alistair crawled to my side and turned me over, looking for any serious wounds. He searched with such a determination that I had to physically hold his arms to make him stop. He paused and looked into my eyes, complete terror in his face. I smiled weakly. I told him I loved him.

He stared at me in amazement, then utter joy. He grasped the back of my head and pulled me into a passionate kiss. Too weak to refuse (not that I wanted to), I closed my eyes and let him hold my limp body closer, his breath labored with pent up emotion. After what seemed like an eternity, we were interrupted by a throat being cleared.

"I hate to interrupt such… celebrations, but will we be leaving soon?"

I whipped my head around and saw Zevran standing with a strained smile on his face. There was a stream of dried blood on his forehead, but other than that he was unharmed. I cried out in joy and staggered to my feet, running into his arms. He stepped back to keep his balance as I slammed into him, then embraced me tightly and spun me around. He set me down and looked down into my face, smiling, but I could see a slight jealousy in his emerald eyes. I kept smiling at him, pretending not to notice, but I knew there would be trouble in the future. He let me go and I returned to Alistair, who wrapped his arm around me and held me close. The three of us stood together and observed the dragon's corpse. I looked from Alistair to Zevran, who both seemed intent on the future. But me, I was content. I had the one man I loved, and my closest friend, together at last. I had forgotten about who I was before, because this is who I am now. We turned away from the battle. The war was won.


End file.
